POSTED UNDER Facial Fat Transfer REVIEWS
Late 20s Female, Lost Lots of Fat in my Face - San Jose, CA
ORIGINAL POST
I had a great experience with Dr. Lay and it did...
somekindofnatureJune 10, 2016
WORTH IT$3,700
I had a great experience with Dr. Lay and it did improve my life significantly, so I think I owe him a review.
I lost lots of fat in my face over the last few years. I had fat grafting done by a different surgeon last summer, and, unfortunately, the fat that survived didn't look aesthetically pleasing. It was mostly at the bottom of my face, and looked like lumps. While I still have some hints of that, the procedure I had with Dr. Lay improved my appearance significantly.
I had fat put into my cheeks mostly, and a few months later a touch up with some more fat put into my cheeks and a little bit in my chin.
The entire experience was very positive. Dr.Lay never pressured me to get any procedure done. When I brought up my concerns, his reaction were generally, "sure, I can do that" or "this is not very noticeable, so I wouldn't do any surgery on it just yet". Which I thought was awesome. He was honest and gave me a fair evaluation. He did not over promise and made sure I had realistic expectations each time. As for results, I'm attaching some photos (with most of my face censored out).
After the first procedure with him, I went in for a touch up a few months later. The touch up was free and so far looks great. (It's only been a little over a week, so it will probably still change, but it was also a very subtle change, so I don't expect to look drastically different.)
Some additional notes:
The entire office is super friendly. They make you feel comfortable and welcome.
Dr.Lay has no problem making time for you if you have questions. One time I was out of town but wanted to clarify something about my procedure, so he video called me.
After my first procedure, his staff went above and beyond to make me feel better (I typically tend to feel nauseous after procedures), more than I would have expected from anyone.
I lost lots of fat in my face over the last few years. I had fat grafting done by a different surgeon last summer, and, unfortunately, the fat that survived didn't look aesthetically pleasing. It was mostly at the bottom of my face, and looked like lumps. While I still have some hints of that, the procedure I had with Dr. Lay improved my appearance significantly.
I had fat put into my cheeks mostly, and a few months later a touch up with some more fat put into my cheeks and a little bit in my chin.
The entire experience was very positive. Dr.Lay never pressured me to get any procedure done. When I brought up my concerns, his reaction were generally, "sure, I can do that" or "this is not very noticeable, so I wouldn't do any surgery on it just yet". Which I thought was awesome. He was honest and gave me a fair evaluation. He did not over promise and made sure I had realistic expectations each time. As for results, I'm attaching some photos (with most of my face censored out).
After the first procedure with him, I went in for a touch up a few months later. The touch up was free and so far looks great. (It's only been a little over a week, so it will probably still change, but it was also a very subtle change, so I don't expect to look drastically different.)
Some additional notes:
The entire office is super friendly. They make you feel comfortable and welcome.
Dr.Lay has no problem making time for you if you have questions. One time I was out of town but wanted to clarify something about my procedure, so he video called me.
After my first procedure, his staff went above and beyond to make me feel better (I typically tend to feel nauseous after procedures), more than I would have expected from anyone.
somekindofnature's provider
Replies (11)
June 14, 2016
Were you in any pain or there was marks left right after surgery?
June 14, 2016
Yeah, a little bit. After the first surgery, my face was sore and I couldn't smile right probably for about a week or two. There was swelling, but not much bruising. My donor sites had only minor I and hurt at first. I would get tired very easily the first few days post op (like carrying grocery bags made me tired), but I think that's not unusual after a surgery. You're supposed to rest and I was too eager to get back to normal life. I didn't take any painkillers, btw. I went back to work a week later and I looked ok enough. The touch up was super easy and I don't think anyone even noticed I did it. Smiling was hard for a couple days after touch up, but that's all.
June 14, 2016
*only minor bruising. (Sorry, I'm typing on my phone.)
And thank you so much! I felt much better about myself after the procedures. I look more like I did 5-8 years ago (although not exactly), and I don't hate looking in the mirror anymore. Completely worth it!
And thank you so much! I felt much better about myself after the procedures. I look more like I did 5-8 years ago (although not exactly), and I don't hate looking in the mirror anymore. Completely worth it!
November 25, 2016
wow late twenties? I am still in shock that someone in their twenties has had not one but two procedures already.....sheesh
November 29, 2016
Not everyone was lucky enough to have good genes from birth. And this site is probably the wrong place to look for people who haven't had any procedures.
UPDATED FROM somekindofnature
4 months post
Almost a month after touch up
somekindofnatureJune 22, 2016
I don't expect too much to change anymore at this point. My face is not perfect, but I'm happy with the improvements from the procedure. Everything looks a bit more smooth and even. The only thing that bothers me a little is the fat that was added to my jawline from my first procedure (not with Dr.Lay). Unfortunately, that's hard to get rid of and I don't think I'm going to try in the near future. I'm happy enough for now. Please feel free to contact me with any questions!
Replies (8)
October 6, 2016
Hey youre almost 8 months in have you retained the fat?
November 1, 2016
I retained a lot of it. Not 100%, but enough I think. There are a couple things I don't like about my face, but they have nothing to do with what Dr. Lay did. The fat he put in looks and feels natural and I'm very happy with it to this day.
November 4, 2016
I forgot to ask you where did the first surgeon and Dr. Lay harvest your fat from? What area of the body?
November 29, 2016
The first surgeon got the fat from my thighs and back. Dr. Lay got it from my stomach.
March 10, 2017
Hi thank you for sharing your story.
I have had 3/4 of my right side of face cut due to rare cancer.
The skin graft did not take & now I have had to have a few op's to repair. Next the Surgon want to do a fat graft to help fill in were flesh was taken. It's not heard of much in Australia. I am his 1st patient to try it out. I would love to know how the site of were they took the fat was after? I may need 3 lots to complet the look of what I had before.
Glenys
I have had 3/4 of my right side of face cut due to rare cancer.
The skin graft did not take & now I have had to have a few op's to repair. Next the Surgon want to do a fat graft to help fill in were flesh was taken. It's not heard of much in Australia. I am his 1st patient to try it out. I would love to know how the site of were they took the fat was after? I may need 3 lots to complet the look of what I had before.
Glenys
March 13, 2017
I didn't notice any changes to my donor sites as far as shape. I have a couple small scars now but they don't bother me. Although it sounds like you might need a lot of volume, so it's possible it will be different for you. Do you know if they are planning to take a fat graft from one donor site of multiple? I hope your procedure goes well!
March 10, 2017
Difficult to see anything or comment with those hiding strips. Sorry
March 13, 2017
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ sorry. My privacy is important to me, but I hope you find enough other reviews that help you!
UPDATED FROM somekindofnature
9 months post
About 8 months later
somekindofnatureNovember 1, 2016
I'm still happy with Dr. Lay's work. My main issue has been the excessive amount of fat the previous surgeon put into my jawline and lumpiness it resulted. I'm still not sure if I can get rid of that.
On the bright side though, Dr. Lay helped me look natural enough that even surgeons I've seen since then can't tell I had any procedures done (until I tell them). My cheeks retained a good amount of the fat and look natural. I will be going back to Dr. Lay if I ever want a fat transfer or fillers again - he has a great eye in my opinion.
On the bright side though, Dr. Lay helped me look natural enough that even surgeons I've seen since then can't tell I had any procedures done (until I tell them). My cheeks retained a good amount of the fat and look natural. I will be going back to Dr. Lay if I ever want a fat transfer or fillers again - he has a great eye in my opinion.
Replies (33)
November 1, 2016
The lumps can be removed but usually it's got to be done through a face lift incision. A decade or two down the line if you ever choose to have a facelift done they can do it then.
November 4, 2016
That's what a couple surgeons told me, so I guess I'll just wait. Pretty much I was told that removing them would be difficult and could make things worse (more uneven), so since they are not super noticeable, I shouldn't touch them now. But later in the future, when my jawline needs tightening, I can take care of the excess fat too.
November 4, 2016
Yeah, the other two options are steroid injections and micro liposuction but steroids could cause further hollowness and microlipo not only removes the bad fat but good fat which could lead to more hollowness. Direct excision for hard lumps is always best. There's also the "mashing" technique if you catch them early enough try to break them apart by pressing really hard on them daily. Although like I said the best method is direct excision and through a face lift where the scars can be hidden.
February 3, 2017
Thanks for sharing. Your pics look great! Can you tell me what kind of anesthesia Dr. Lay gave you (local, sedation, or general)? Do you know how he processes the fat so it remains viable? I heard alot of fat can die during the liposuction and transfer process if not harvested or transferred properly. I'm interested in finding a good fat transfer surgeon but it's really difficult to find.
February 12, 2017
Ah I was trying to respond to your question but instead accidentally posted a separate comment. Sorry about that. You can see it if you scroll up.
November 2, 2016
I wish he had more fat graft images on his site! I am interested in him for fat grafting
November 29, 2016
Yeah me too! I liked the one I saw on his website and my experience confirmed that he and I are on the same page as far as aesthetics. But it definitely feels super risky if you haven't seen enough photos of other people.
November 2, 2016
Hi!
Im in a situation where i think i need fat grafting to my jawline. I had a smartlipo done under my chin and jawlines about 5 years ago that i regret so much. I did not need it and he took way too much fat, its uneven and there are hollows in some places where he took more than other places.
I live in Europe and have had troubles finding someone who has done fat grafting to the jawline, i have never heard of it until i found this site. From your experience, do you think fat grafting to even up the hollow parts would work for me? I have a consultation in january but even if the surgeon says he can make it better, it would mean so much to get advice from someone who did something similar, because its really difficult for me to trust plastic surgeons now after what the first one did to me.
I think your result looks very good by the way!
Im in a situation where i think i need fat grafting to my jawline. I had a smartlipo done under my chin and jawlines about 5 years ago that i regret so much. I did not need it and he took way too much fat, its uneven and there are hollows in some places where he took more than other places.
I live in Europe and have had troubles finding someone who has done fat grafting to the jawline, i have never heard of it until i found this site. From your experience, do you think fat grafting to even up the hollow parts would work for me? I have a consultation in january but even if the surgeon says he can make it better, it would mean so much to get advice from someone who did something similar, because its really difficult for me to trust plastic surgeons now after what the first one did to me.
I think your result looks very good by the way!
November 2, 2016
If you're in Europe fly to Sweden. There's a gentleman on here named "d to the j" who is from Sweden and had fat grafting done there to his jaw and so far its been a success. He had two fat grafts a year apart and both of them took equally well and he's happy with his results.
November 4, 2016
I think it could work, but I would be careful. After my first bad experience, Dr. Lay did put some fat into my jawline (but closer to my chin) to even things out, and it improved my appearance. I would just be really careful not to overfill it. One option that was suggested to me was to do fillers first, and when they wear off, do fat transfer to the same place. That way you know where your surgeon will put the fat and whether you like the look of it. It's not 100 reliable though because fat is inconsistent and fat grafting results are less predictable.
November 9, 2016
Thank you so much for your answers, soren40 and somekindofnature! I am definitely going to check out "d to the j"! I have booked a consultation in january and I'm already so nervous. Cant think about anything else right now and I'm so afraid it won't be possible to fix. Since i did smartlipo, its not really on the jawline, its more underneath it. I thought about fillers first but i have read that it could move down since I'm having it under the jawbone and chin and then it doesn't have a bone to stay on.
I wish so bad i never did the smartlipo, now i miss my old fat and want it back as it was before...
I wish so bad i never did the smartlipo, now i miss my old fat and want it back as it was before...
February 2, 2017
I sent you a private message but I just want to add here that fillers do not "move down". They can use Voluma or Perlane and inject it directly on the bone and it will stay as well or better as fat would. Much more predictable. In my opinion fat in the lower face could really backfire in later years when it starts to sag and droop. Please consider fillers first. Less anxiety about the future.
December 15, 2016
You look amazing! I've been considering this procedure for the next year or two (30 years old). Thank you for this!
February 4, 2017
Thank you! =) Good luck and I'd love to see your results if you end up doing it!
February 4, 2017
Thank you! =) Dr. Lay does local anesthesia so you're awake the whole time. I'm not sure how he processes the fat actually, but I think his website might mention it. From my experience, a lot of fat does die off, but some of it stays for a long time.
This is from his website, if that helps: "Dr. Lay uses the Adivive™ Fat Transfer System to enhance the survival rate of fat cells, while mixing platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with the extracted fat before grafting also helps improve its health and survival; it also improves skin tone. Dr. Lay incorporates PRP into every fat transfer he performs."
February 5, 2017
It's hard to say because I had so much swelling at the beginning. It want to say it's like 30-40% of what it was a couple months after the procedure, but if you factor in some residual swelling, maybe about 40-50%? My subjective feeling is that there is a bit more fat in my face than before the procedure, but my face doesn't feel huge like it at first. It's hard to quantify.
February 5, 2017
Do you feel like you would benefit from another procedure or are you happy with the amount of fat you have now?
February 5, 2017
I think I will get another procedure in the future. Probably a smaller amount. I'm ok enough with what I have now that I can wait a couple years until I'm around 30.
February 28, 2017
Love your username, and love your face shape. I just had fat transfer to my cheeks and I'm really excited to see the swelling go down. I can see my round cute cheeks under there somewhere hehehe. Were you told to not move your mouth or consume only liquids for the first couple weeks? I was just told to avoid the sun, exercise and sleep at 45 degrees for the first couple weeks. I'm super puffy like a poofy chipmunk, I'll put up some pictures soon!
March 6, 2017
Thank you! =) I'm excited to see your pictures!
They didn't tell me not to move my mouth, but I'm curious now if that would've helped retain the fat better. I've heard that a few times now.
They didn't tell me not to move my mouth, but I'm curious now if that would've helped retain the fat better. I've heard that a few times now.
March 6, 2017
You can see my less than glam photos up haha. I'll probably crop or take them down soon it's kind of embarrassing. I've also read eating carbs for the first few weeks helps the fat establish permanence because of the insulin spike, and insulin can rev up fat cells to grow and release a bunch of growth factors. So I've been enjoying a little more carbs than I usually would in light of this theory. Hehe. Did you feel islands or balls of lumps in your cheeks for a few weeks? My selling is finally improving but if I use my fingers to feel around my cheek, like one on the inside of my mouth one on the outside, I can feel huge areas of firm rubbery substance. My surgeon said it's all due to swelling so im being patient. Did you exercise a lot after your transfer and did you find the fat changed with your weight? Thanks girl :))
March 8, 2017
Yeah I felt lumps for some time! They all dissolved eventually, I would say a month or two after the procedure there weren't any hard lumps.
You look really pretty in your before pictures! I see what you mean about cheeks, I kind of have the same problem with my cheeks being a little caved in. I know some people like it, but I don't. I liked my fuller cheeks better. I can see you have a lot of swelling but I imagine your results will look great once the swelling goes down! How much fat did you have put in?
You look really pretty in your before pictures! I see what you mean about cheeks, I kind of have the same problem with my cheeks being a little caved in. I know some people like it, but I don't. I liked my fuller cheeks better. I can see you have a lot of swelling but I imagine your results will look great once the swelling goes down! How much fat did you have put in?
March 8, 2017
Oh and no I didn't exercise for a while. Probably for a few weeks at least. I naturally burn fat really easily so I didn't want to risk it.
March 9, 2017
Thanks! I was out cold and I forgot to ask her about the volume. I will though. Rounder cheeks are so much more flattering on me. From some angles I looked fine but from others I felt like I was starting to look like a skeleton :/ I was scared that as I kept working out I would lose more and more fullness. I've been holding out on exercise as well but I really miss it...it's been about two weeks and I've already put on a few pounds. I'm making crepes right now lol
March 9, 2017
Oh man, crepes are great! =) I can't wait to see your final result! I have a feeling that after 3 weeks you'll see the general shape, but it will keep going down more. I know it did for me.
Wow, your face looks amazing, thank you for sharing your experience and your pics!
Where was the fat transferred from?